The Superstress Solution

by LEE, ROBERTA MD

• ISBN13: 9780345508638
• ISBN10: 0345508637
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2011-12-01
• Publisher: Ballantine Books

Summary

We live on little sleep and exercise but a lot of work. We eat junk and processed foods on the run and fuel up with caffeine and sugar. We are chronically overcommitted, subjected to a 24/7 news cycle, and can't take our eyes off our computers and PDAs. Is it any wonder that anxious is the new normal? Our bodies are hardwired to cope with stress, but we are biologically ill-equipped to handle the kind that we endure today. The human brain, in all its majesty, can't distinguish true physical emergencies from daily hassles, deadlines, information overload, difficult decisions, guilt, and worries. The physiological reaction is the same: a chronic hormonal surge born of our instinctive fight-or-flight response. The result is a cluster of dangerous symptoms: immune deficiencies, high blood pressure, weight gain, insomnia, and a wide range of other ailments. This is what world-renowned integrative physician Dr. Roberta Lee has defined as the SuperStress syndrome, which is caused by our overstimulated, undernourished lifestyle. In this empowering, life-changing book, Dr. Lee presents the solution to SuperStress. She shows how you can build stress resistance and resilience into your life with a unique prescription for recognizing, rebalancing, and protecting against stresses small and large. Starting with a comprehensive, informative questionnaire to determine your stress level and stress personality type, The SuperStress Solution then guides you through a 4-week healing program to reset your rattled nervous system to a default state of rest rather than high alert. Discover how to Nourishyour body with nutrient-rich foods, herbs, and supplements that repair stress damage Detoxyour system and jump-start your body's healing with an easy-to-follow eating plan Sleepwell again by following simple steps to protect and promote the rest your body needs Moveto simple, low-impact exercises that can be done in five-minute to one-hour increments Retrainyour mind so you can access a sense of peace and calm even in your most stressed-out moments The SuperStress Solutionwill do more than help you beat back the overload that is making you sick; it will restore physical harmony and balance. More than a program that makes you feel better, it is a program that will make you truly well.

Author Biography

Roberta Lee, M.D., is vice chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine, director of Continuing Medical Education, and co-director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel’s Continuum Center for Health and Healing at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Lee attended George Washington University Medical School and is one of the four graduates in the first class from the Program of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona conducted by Andrew Weil, M.D.


From the Hardcover edition.

Excerpts

Part 1 SuperStress and You  

CHAPTER ONE

SuperStress in Your Body and on Your Mind  

Stress is a word we toss around every day, but what does it really mean? There are probably as many definitions as there are people you ask for them. Stress is both a physiological and a psychological response to events that upset our balance. Stress is what happens when the demands and daily challenges of the outside world are greater than our ability to cope with them. But stress is related to internal factors as well-factors that include how healthy we are, our emotional well-being, what we eat, and how much sleep we get. It's also strongly dependent on how we interpret what comes our way-that is, how we perceive what's happening to us.  

Each person interprets a prospectively dangerous situation differently. Let's say, for example, that six-foot-two-inch Anthony runs out of gas in the middle of a dark street in a not-so-safe neighborhood. While walking to the nearest filling station, he notices a group of four burly guys heading in his direction. He barely pays attention to them and continues on his way, never changing his pace. If his sister has the same experience with her car, when she sees the men coming her way she might a) cross the street, b) duck into the nearest open store, or c) pull out the pepper spray that she has in her handbag "just in case." For Anthony, this nonevent creates nothing more than a blip on the stress radar screen. But his sister, who perceives that she might be in danger, has a much more pronounced stress response. The stress response is about protecting ourselves and it's about having control over a situation. How much stress we feel as a result of our perception of things determines how much control we think we have.  

Anything that triggers stress is known as a stressor. Anything that forces us to adjust to the degree that it strains our coping skills is a stressor. Stressors can range from small aggravations to fear of something or someone that might pose a threat to your well-being. Large stressors include major life events, such as a divorce, a child leaving home, an unexpected pregnancy, a move to a new town, a career change, graduating from college, or a diagnosis of cancer. But while major life changes are stressful, it's the stressors that come at us-and consequently at our nervous systems-all day long that affect us the most. These include:  

•     Environmental stressors, such as noise pollution (from blaring radios, barking dogs, or police sirens) or living in a crime-ridden neighborhood where you never feel safe.  

•    Work stressors, such as job dissatisfaction, overwork, disagreements with your boss, low pay, or nasty office politics.  

 •     Relationship stressors-defined as a fight with a friend; problems with partners, children, or other family members; or loss of a spouse.  

•     Social stressors that occur when you're trying to keep up with the Joneses or trying to be the Joneses.  

•     Spiritual angst, which can come from loss of a purpose in your life. Loss of community. Loss of control. Loss of meaning.  

Fear as a Stressor  

Fear is one of the great stressors of all time. Fear heralds many dangers and yet it can save us by keeping us in fight-or-flight mode. Our ancestors-long ago-had no choice but to be faster, stronger, and more cunning than the predators that waited for them to make a mistake. The fact is, a guy going out alone on the savanna in search of food knew well that when he came face-to-face with a beast, he was either going to get lunch or be lunch. In those days, if you didn't have enough you were going to die of starvation or hypothermia. If you